On October 6th, I'm running the Royal Parks half marathon for the Royal Marsden, pioneers in the treatment of and research into cancer. I'm running in joyful memory of the inimitable Lisa Smirl, who died of lung cancer in February 2013, and in honour of my wonderful mum, who was successfully treated for breast cancer at the Marsden some years ago. 

I promised Lisa I'd try and get a charity place for the Royal Parks, so here I am. Lisa herself ran the Great North Run in September 2012 to prove that you can live well and do stuff with even advanced cancer. And boy did she prove that. Lisa lived her life - in particular, her last year of life - fuller than most of us will live whatever time we have left. 

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